Grain-heading machine



April 29, 1930. J, HALE 1,756,788

GRAIN READING MACHINE Filed June 27. 1928 11 Sheets-Sheet 1 .JHaZe.

E. J. HALE April 29, 1930.

GRAIN HEADING MACHINE Filed June 2'7, l928 11Sheets-Sheet 2 31 EJHaZe.

April 29, 1930. .E. J. HALE GRAIN HEADING MACHINE Filed June 2'7, 192811 Sheets-Sheet 3 A ril 29, 1930. E. J. HALE 1,756,788

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GRAIN HEADING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1928 11 Sheets-Sheet 5 April29,1930. E. J. HALE I 1,755,788

GRAIN HEADI'NG MACHINE Filed June 2'7, 1928 ll Sheets-Sheet 6 April 29,1930. E J H GRAIN HEADING MACHINE Filed June 27, 1928 11Sheets-Sheet 7April 29, 1930. 5. HALE 1,756,788

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- flttomeg Patented Apr. 29, 1930 EDWARD J. HALE, OF MINGO, OKLAHOMAGRAIN-HEADING MACHINE Application filed June 27,

This invention relates to a machine for heading grain such as cane,Kaflir-corn, maize and the like.

It is aimed to provide a generally efficient,

comparatively inexpensive and durable machine adapted to receive cutunthreshed grain, remove the kernels therefrom and load the same onto awagon or receptacle forming view part of the machine, and at the sametime discharge the straw onto the ground, as the machine travelsthereover, for use as fer tilizer.

- It is particularly aimed to provide a machine of this character havinga novel means at the front to receive and convey the grain to theheading mechanism, which means is adjustable as to height according toconditions of use.

Another object is to provide a novel con struction wherein the machineproper is adjustable as to height and such machine and the wagon orvehicle are relatively movable longitudinally to take up slack inoperating parts especially incidental to the aforesaid adjustment.

Still another object is to provide a novel construction of headingmechanism and.

means for conveying the grain kernels to a wagon body or receptacle. I 7Various additional objects and advantages will bepointed out or becomeapparent from a consideration of the description following taken inconnection with"v accompanying drawings illustrating an operativeembodiment. i

Figure 1 is a top plan view of grain heading machine; 7

Figure 2 is a side view in elevation; Figure 3 is a front view inelevation; I Figure 4 is a side view partly in section of the side tothe side shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a detail top planpartly in section;

Figure 6 is another detail plan view showing the hood removed and partlybroken away and in section;

Figure '7 is a detail side view with the hood broken away, some of theparts being in section; I

igure 8 is a transverse sectional view on the improved 1928. Serial No.288,772.

a plane indicated by the line 8-8 of Figure 7 Figure 9 is a similar viewon a plane indicated by the line 9-9 of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a sectional detail on a plane indicated by-the line 10-10of Figure 7;

Figure 11 is a fragment-a1 View of the drive wheel and connections; i

' Figure 12 is a fragmental bottom plan Figure 13 is a fragmental viewpartly in section of a portion of the supporting frame;

Figure 1 1 is a sectional detail on a plane indicated by the line 14-14of Figure 13;

Figure 15 is a similar view on a plane indicated by the line 15-15 ofFigure 13;

Figure 16 is a sectional detail on a plane indicated by the line 16-16of Figure 15; Figure 17 is a sectional detail on a plane indicated bythe line 17-17 of Figure 14; Figure 18 is a sectional detail on a planeindicated by the line 18-18 of Figure 6;

Figure 19 is a sectional detail on a plane indicated by the line 19-19of Figure 18;

Figure 20 is a sectional detail on a plane indicated by the line 20-20of Figure 7; and

. Figures 21 and 22 are sectional details on planes indicated by thelines 21-21 and 22-22, respectively, of Figure 2O.

Referring specifically'to the drawings, the

parts generally are supportedby a suitable mobile machine frame 1, awagon or vehicle frame 2 and an auxiliary frame 3 rigid with wagon"frame 1, .each frame being of'a fabricated or skeleton form. F astenedto, frame 2 is a transverse axle 8 havin ground wheels 4 and'5 journaled thereon; uchfas tening of the frames is adjustablexto enableframes 1 and 2 to have slight relative longitudinal adjustment for apurpose hereinafter de'scribed,'and to this end, axle 3 has an arm 6rigid therewith which maybe fastened by 1 removable bolts 7 in selectedopenings 8 pro-' 5 vided through bars 90f frame 3. l/Vagon frame 2carries a relatively large C -shaped plate or bracket 10 at the innerside thereof provided I with elongated slots 11 therethrough. Saddles 12rigid with the machine frame surround and are slidable relatively to thebracket 10. Vertically disposed guide rods 13 rise from fraine3 and aredisposed through certain of the slots 11. Screw rods 14 rigid with frame1, depend through the remaining slots 11 and are engaged by nuts 14which rest on top of the saddles. Conventional ratchet wrenches l4 maybe attached to the nuts 14 to operate them. As the nuts 14 rest on thesaddles, the height of the nuts governs the vertical adjustment of themachine frame 1. lVedge bolts 14 may be carried by the saddles to bindagainst the rods 13 to assist the screw rods 14 in supporting theframe 1. Support of the apparatus by the said wheels is supplemented bya smaller wheel or colter 14 ournaled in a bracket 15 of a verticallydisposed rod 16 which is slidably mounted in arms of a bracket 17fastened to a part of the frame 1. An expansive coil spring 18 surroundsthe rod 16, abutting one arm of the bracket 17 and a stop 19 on saidrod, thus yleldlngly maintaining the roller or wheel 14 111-811-gagement with the ground. 7

As best shown in Figure 3, the right hand side or frame 2 of the machineconstitutes a wagon since it has a wagon body or receptacle 20 supportedby suitable bolsters'21 from the said .axle 3*. A draft animal or atractor (not shown) is adapted to be hitched in any suitable manner tothe wagon as at a tongue orpole 22, to draw the same over the ground andthereby impart rotation especially to the wheel 5 which is usedtherefore as the power wheel. v

The grain header mechanism is generally designated A and appropriatelymounted on the frame 1. Such mechanism will be speciiically describedhereinafter.

In order to supply the unthreshed grain to the header mechanism A, twospaced simultaneously operable feeding devices generally designated 8are employed. These devices consist of metallic or other frames of askeleton nature primarily of two rigidly joined generally triangularframe elements 24 as best seen in Figures 2 and 3. These elements meanttransverse shafts 25 on which sprocket wheels 26 are journaled and whichare traversed by endless conveyor belts or chains 27 adapted to moveupwardly and rearwardly and which are provided with flights 28.

Chains 27 alsotraverse sprocket wheels 26 meuntedon framel. 7 1 Y I Theframe 1 has a rock shaft 29 journaled transversely thereof, which isprovided with a plurality of downwardly and rearwardly extending cranks3O. .Pivoted tocertain of the cranks 30. as'at 31 are links 32 which Yextend forwardly and are pivoted at 33 to brackets 34 fastened to theframes 24. The frames 24 at 35 are pivoted or hinged on horizontal axesto the frame 1; Framel has a platform3'6 provided with a bracket 37 towhich alever 38 is pivoted. Said lever has i a depending portion 39 towhich a link 40 is pivoted which is also pivoted to the remaining crank30. Pivoted as at 41 to the link 40, midway of its ends, is a link 42which is pivoted to one of the frames 24 as at 43.

Since all of the frames 24 have connections with the rock shaft 29, thesame are movable in unison to different adjusted positions from the axis35 and are adapted to be fastened in such positions through theengagement of a latch 43 of lever 38 with a toothed rack 44 on theplatform 36'. The frames 24 have ground engaging shoes 45 pivotedthereto as at 46 and such frames also have plates 47 pivoted thereto at48 and provided with elongated slots 49 through which bolts 50 pass toguide them for sliding movement. Incidental to the turning of the frames24 about the axis 35, the said plates or slides 47 will correspondinglymove.

The sprockets 26, while located substantially within the frames 24, arerigid on in bearings and 55, respectively, on the frame 1. Mounted onthe shaft 52 is a pinion with which a pinion 55 meshes carried by ashaft 56, jcurnaled in bearings 57 on the frame 1. lie ed to the shaft56 is a sprocket wheel 57 over which a sprocket chain 58 is trained andwhich is housed within a trough or protective casing 59 on the frame ,1.Sprocket chain 58 is also trained over a sprocket wheel 60 at the rearof the machine keyed to a transverse shaft 61 journaled in suitablebearings 62. The shaft 61 is adapted to be driven by a sprocket chain 62trained over a sprocket wheel 63 clamped to the power wheel 5. passesover a sprocketwheel 64 normally loose on the shaft 61 but adapted to bear ranged in driving relation therewith by means of a conventionalclutch 65 operable through the medium of a lever 66.

' The shaft 7 on which drives a suitable conveyor 68 trained thereoverand which also is trained 10o 3 Such sprocket chain 62 also a sprocket67 keyed-there;

the grain accumulates at the upper extremity of the frames 24, theworkmangrasps the same in bundles, and arranges it vertically,

with the grain heads or kernels uppermost and with the cut endsdepending between the frames 24 into slots 75 and moves rearwardlyagainst a deflector plate 76 on the frame 1 so as to'be received intoanyone of a series of notches 77 of a plate 78. 1 I a I As the verticalbundles of the unthreshed grain thus move inwardly, it isgripped betweena fixed longitudinal bar 79 on the frame 10 and a movable longitudinal.bar 80 int ' since it is carried by brackets 81 pivotally mounted onthe frame. at 82 and has guide rods 83 pivoted thereto at 84, andslidable through supports or guides as at85. Expansive coil springs 86engage such guides and fixed el ments 87 on the rods 83. .Thus thesprings 86 urge the bar 80 into engagement with or toward the fixed bar79 whereby the Vunthreshed grain is gripped. At the same time, theunthreshed grain, thus gripped, is conveyed rearwardly or longitudinallyof the machine by conveyer chains 88 and 89, arranged one above theother, and each provided with laterally extending lugs or flights 90 toengage such vertical bundles of unthreshed grain to forcibly slideit'forwardly. ,Near the start of such sliding movement, a portion of thestraw of such grain is severed by the contact thereof with a rotatableknife 91. As the unthreshed grain is thus unsupported or gripped frombelow, and since at this stage, the lower ends are gripped betweenthreshing or heading rolls 92 and 93, the unthreshed grain is pulleddownwardly and inwardly into substantial parallelism with the axes oftherollers 92 and 93 whereby, kernels are removed as the grain is pulledbetween the plates 79 and 80. The roller 92 is longitudinally groovedorcorrugated to provide pockets 94; andthe roller 93 is spirallycorrugated or fluted as at'95.

As a result, as the grain passes downwardly between the rolls 92and 93theremaining kernels of grain are removed, lodging in the pockets 94 andfalling therefrom through the rotation of roller 92 into a maincollecting trough 96 having a conveyer 97 disposed therein. A specificform of the roller 93 aids in somewhat crushing the straw to facilitaterotting thereof, forfertilizer purposes-and such straw with the graincompletely threshedtherefrom; as it passes between the rolls 92 and 93,falls between rolls 98 and 99, below the aforesaid rolls, passingbetween I such. rolls and'thence out of the machine through an opening100 in the bottom thereof, where it deposits on the ground for use asfertilizer. I

Should any of the straw remain upstanding near the rear. ends of therolls, it will be engaged by a hook 101 suitably fastened on the machineand its movement arrested so that it will be severed or cut by arotatable knife 102. v A resilient finger103 maybe arranged opposite theguide plate 76 and be fastened as at 104 to the frame 10, to aid ingripping the bundles of unthreshed grainas the same are moved backwardlyor rearwardlyby the disks 78 into engagement with bars? 9 and 80. Y

The heading mechanism A is covered by'a suitable hood 105, part of which106, is a closure hinged in place at 107, permitting access to theheading mechanism. The trough 96 together with adjacent elements is alsoclosed and protected by a hood as at 108, having a door or closure 109provided therethrough;

- The-hood constitutes aguide whereb grainwhich is headed as the strawis drawn between the bars 79 and 80, falls and is guidinto thepreviously mentioned trough 72 and conveyed rearwardly by the conveyer68 which conveys the grain rearwardly into a troughllO which is incommunication with the trough 72 at the rear of the machine andtransversely thereof. Such trough 110 has a conveyer 111 therein to movethe grain into a trough 112 vwhich is the main receiving trough andwhich has the main conveyer 113 located therein.

The rolls 93 and 98 are mounted so that they may yield away fromtherolls 92 and 99, respectively, in the presence of undue bulk. Theyare yieldably mounted, however, and always urge toward said rolls 92 and99, respectively. Said rolls93 and'98 are mounted rigidly on shafts 93and 98 respectively. Said shafts are journaled in suitable bearings 111, which are transversely slidable in ways 115 provided in adjacent bars116, forming part of the frame 1 and located beneath the hood 105. Suchbearings 114 are provided with guide rods 116 slidably mounted throughguides 117 on the brackets 116. EX-

pansive coil springs 118 surround the rods 116 and at one end abut thebearings 114 and at the other end abut the guides or blocks 117. Therolls 92 and 99 are rigid on shafts 92 and 99 respectively, suitablyjournaled in bearings 119 on or forming part of the frame 1. g

The transverse shaft 61 through the medium of a suitable transmissionmechanism conventionally shown as at C, drives the aforesaid parallelshaft 71,'which as previously-stated drives the sprocket 70 in order tooperate-the conveyer 68. Said shaft 71 has a bevelgear wheel 121 keyedthereto which meshes with a bevel gear wheel122 on a shaft 123. Shaft123has a gear wheel 124- keyed thereto which meshes with a gear wheel 125keyed to the shaft 99 on which a bevel gear wheel 127 is. alsokeyedandis in mesh with a bevel gear wheel 128carried by a ver tical shaft129 which drives the cutter 102. It will be realized that as previouslystated,

the shaft 99 drives the roll 99. 7

On said shaft 99 a sprocket wheel 130 is keyed over which a sprocketchain 131 passes and which in turn traverses a sprocket wheel 132carried'by shaft 92 whereby the latter and the roll 92 are driven. Shaft99 has a bevel gear wheel 133 keyed thereon which meshes with a bevelgear wheel 134 carried by avertically disposed shaft135 journaled insuitable bearings 136 on the frame 1. Shaft 185 has a sprocket wheel 186thereon traversed by the conveyer 88 whereby the latter is driven. V V vOonveyer 88 also traverses a sprocket wheel 187 carried by a verticalshaft 188 suitably journaled in the frame 1 and on which shaft the plateor disk 78 is fastened so as to be rotated. On theshaft 188 a gear wheel189, is keyed which is traversed by the lower conveyer 89, thelatteralso traversing an idler sprocket mounted on a vertical shaft 141suitably journaled in the machine. 7

The cutter 91 is carried by a vertical shaft 142 supported in suitablebearings 148. On shaft 142 a bevel gear wheel 144 is keyed which is inmesh with a bevel gear wheel 145 carried by the shaft 99 and roll 99.Thus the shaft 99 and roll 99 drive the cutter 91.

On the shaft 128, a sprocket wheel is keyed which is traversed by asprocket chain 151 which also passes over a sprocket wheel 152 keyed onthe shaft 98 so as to rotate the roll 98. Associated with the chain 151is a. conventional automatically operated belt tightener 158. Traversinga sprocket wheel 154 on the shaft 98 is a sprocket chain 155 which alsotraverses a sprocket wheel 156 keyed to the shaft 98 whereby the roll98'is operated. Aconventional automatically operating'belt tightener 157coacts with the sprocket chain 155.

r In order to drive theconveyer 111, a bevel 7 gear wheel 160is keyedto. shaft 71 and meshes with a bevel gear wheel 161 on a shaft 162having a sprocket 168 thereon traversed by the sprocket chain 111. Atthe other end, sprocket chain 111 traverses-an idler sprocket wheel 164mounted in any appropriate manner. v y The main conveyer 118 traversesan idler sprocket wheel 166 suitablymount'e'd in the rear endthereof-and such conveyeralso traverses a sprocket wheel 1617 keyed to.the shaft 56 whereby such main conveyer is driven.

The main convcyer trough 96 is arranged to discharge at its'forwarcbendinto an inclined chute 1T0 suitably fastened at the front of themachine. Operable within the trough 170 is an elevator or-conveyer chain171,. havingiflights. 172 thcreonwhereby the grain is elevated anddischarged into a discharge chute 178 mounted on thetrough170, restingagainst the bracket 174 but preferably being 'pi'votet at 175 so thatthe same may be thrown back against the trough 170 when not discharging.Discharge chute 178 conveys the grain into'the wagonbody 20. The

conveyer 171 is mounted on an idler sprocket wheel 176 lower end,suitably mounted within the trough 170. At its upper end, such chain 1T1is trained over the sprocket 17'? keyed to a shaft178journaled in wallof'the trough 170 and extending exterior-1y thereof and-there havingsprocket wheel 179 keyed thereto. -Ohain=179 transverses a sprocketwheel 180 carried by a short shaft 181 suitably ournaled on the frame ofthe machine.

On shaft 181, a bevel gear wheel 182 is keyed I which meshes with abevel gear wheel 188 keyed on the shaft 56 so as to be driven from thelatter.

' Especiallywhen the main drive chain 62 modated by the slots 11 androds 18 passing therethrough. relative sliding or shifting movement, itis to be understood that bolts 7] are removed. A bar or link 185 isconnected to the saddles and a link 186 pivotedthereto andto anoperatinglever 187 which is fulcrumed at 188. on the bracket 10. Lever 187 may befastened in adjusted position by latch means188 coacting with a toothedsegment 189. By reason of the construction described, as lever 187 isoperated, the saddles and bracket 10 will move relatively, resulting inrelative movement of the machine frame 1 and the vehicle frame 2, thustaking up the slack in such main drive chain, after which the bolts 7are applied to the proper openings in the arm 6 and bars 9. The maindrive wheel is preferably equipped with tract-ion teeth or spurs 190.

To briefly recapitulate the operation here-- tofore specifically setforth in connection with the description of the parts, the machine isdriven or moved over the field during which action the workman placedout and unthreshed grain in bundles transversely of the conveyers 27,and in engagement with the flights .28 whereby the same is elevated tothe position. withthe butt ends down and then passed while heldvertically through the space 75, guided by the deflector or guides 76into engagement with adjacent pockets 78 of the disk'ZT Since the diskTbears frictionally aga nst the adjacent guides, the bundles Beforeaccomplishing this are frictionally held so that they are conveyedrearwardly by the lugs 90 of the con-veyers 88 mace. As the upstandingunthreshed grain travels rearwardly, the lower portions of the straware'severed through the action of the cutter 91 whereupon the actionoftherolls 92 and 98' draws the grain to a horizontal position betweenthem. The cut straw falls to the ground through'the openings 100 andsuch drawing downwardly of the grain causes a large percentage of thekernels or heads to be removed by the coaction of the plates or bars '79 and 80 therewith. The rolls 98 and 92 thrash the remainder of theheads or ker-V nels from the grain. The heads threshed by the bars 7 9and 80 are guided by the hood 105 into the trough 72 where itis conveyedrearwardly by the conveyer 68 into the trough 110 and thence conveyedlaterally by the conveyer 111 therein into the trough 112 so that themain conveyer 61 moves it forwardly into the inclined trough 170 forelevation by the associated elevator therein and discharged into andthrough the chute 173 into the body 20. At the same time, such grainheads or kernels as it passes through the main conveyer trough is met bythe grain discharge thereinto by the roll 92.

The frames 24 may be adjusted as to height at desired times throughadjustment of the lever 38 and mechanism previously specifically traced.Also the frame 1 and parts mounted thereon may be adjusted verticallywhen desired through the adjustment of the nuts 14f under the action ofthe wrenches 14. Also the main drive chain may be tightened. whennecessary upon removing the bolts 7 and adjusting the lever 187.

Various changes may he resorted to provided they fall within the spiritand scope of the invention. 1 1

I claim as my invention 1. A machine of the class described having grainheading mechanism, means to grip the grain, said heading mechanism beingdesigned to move the grain relative to the first mentioned means so thatthe latter will partially head the grain.

2. A machine of the class described having grain heading mechanism,means to grip the grain, said heading mechanism being designed to movethe grain relative to the first mentioned means so that the latter willpartially head the grain, a hood over said heading mechanism, conveyermeans, and said hood serving to direct the grain headed by the firstmentioned means into said conveyer. i

3. A machine of theclass described having grain heading mechanism, meansto grip the grain, said heading mechanism being designed to move thegrain relative to the first mentioned means so that the latter willpartially head the grain, a hood over said heading mechanism, conveyermeans, and said hood serving to direct the grain headed by the firstmentioned means into said conveyer, the conveyer to receive headed grainfrom said mechanism, and a conveyer to transfer grain from the firstconveyer to the last mentioned conveyer whereby the grain'may reach acommon source of discharge.

4. A machine of the class described having heading rolls, a fixed and amovable stripper bar, this stripper bar being adapted to receiveunthreshed grain in a vertical position, a disk having a notch toinitially receive the grain and start travel thereof, a conveyer havving projections engageable'with the grain to assist travel thereof, anda cutter to remove the lower ends of the straw as the grain is conveyedby said conveyer, and threshing rolls to receive the grain in asubstantially horizontal position.

5. A machine of the class described having heading rolls, a fixed and amovable stripper bar, this stripper bar being adapted to receiveunthreshed grain in a vertical position, a disk having a notch toinitially receive the grain and start travel thereof, a conveyer havingprojections engageable with the grain to as sist travel thereof, and acutter to remove the lower ends of the straw as the grain is conveyed bysaid conveyer, and thresher rolls to receive the grain in asubstantially horizontal position, a hook adjacent the end of travel ofthe grain for the purpose specified, and a cutter lower than the firstmentioned cutter and adjacent said hook for the purpose specified, andanother conveyer for said grain lo cated between the levels of saidcutters. v

6. A machine of the class described having coacting threshing rolls toreceive unthreshed grain, one of said rolls having longitudinallyextending grain receiving pockets, and the other roll having spirallyarranged ribs for the purpose specified, a pair of coacting guide rollsbeneath the first mentioned rolls, a cutter for the butt ends of thestraw located between the planes of the first and second pairs of rolls,and the machine being open from below whereby the cut straw may fallthere U through.

'In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

' EDWARD J. HALE.

